BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 321, 22 February 1910, Page 8

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

ELECTRIC Lll.ilT DEPARTMENT. At a meeting of the Electric Light Committee hint night. .Mr. 11. Black, electrical engineer, sunNr. 11. Black, electrical engineer, submitted a report upon the stall' in his department, as directed by resolution ot I the Council. The report stated that the stall' consists of engineer and manager (here styled the electrical engineer), power-house engineer, and two assistants, lineman and assistant, cleric, and junior, making a total of eight. After giving details of the duties of the power-house staff, the lineman, and ! clerk and junior, the report continued: With recent changes in the office stall work is very much behind, and it wui be necessary to get extra clerical assistance if the annual returns arc to be ready within reasonable time. When ' ilr. Dixon was here we had everything [in this way fairly forward, but owing to his leaving I have not been able to have the usual quarterly returns made out. With over 500 connections to our lines and extensions to Fitzroy, VogclItown, and Breakwater, there has neces'[sarily been a very considerable increase in the work of this department, yet the [only increase in the staff in town since I supply commenced is an assistant lineman. We require a smart electrical as- ' sis'tant to assist with testing of meters, j transformers, consumers' installations, ,and to attend to street lighting repairs, 1 examination of motors and consumers' troubles when fuses, lamps, or fittings! fail or give trouble. Hours of duty 'should be arranged that he would bei [available during evening hours, so that consumers' wants could be attended to lat once. No one Is now on duty in town after 5 p.m., although this is the time we have most urgent calls. An as'sisfc ant for this work would relieve the lineman, give him more time for the lines, and save employing extra help ■ for lines. A suitable man should be | obtainable for about £3 per week. We have no one to do any drawing, and in [consequence we have no plans of wires in town. Three years ago I advised i that a plan, one chain to the inch, be I obtained, and all connections' and ttnes i recorded thereon, but this did not meet with the approval of the Council at that time, and the work has not'been done. | I procured some small three-chain-to-the-inch plans, but have not been able I to get time to do anything with them, I and have no one else to do the work. All the line work is entered in the station books, but it is very desirable that a proper plan should be obtained and all outside work recorded on it. I had i hoped originally, if we got a smart ] clerk who was als'o used to drawing, that he might do this as well as th* books, but the clerical work has now so increased that a clerk will be kept I fully occupied. For the office w-e now require a competent and reliable bookkeeper, and I do not think the salary I offered sufficient to induce a competent I man to take up the work, considering that there is little prospect of advancein fin t, however efficient he may prove. I have not found it at all times satisfactory to have a clerk in my offic», s'o have arranged for him to use the switchboard room. It would be better if he could have a separate office, but there is no room in the present station for that. I

While I have defined the duties of the various members of the staff as above, it is clearly understood that any one may be called on at any time, night or day, to do in case of emergency any work required, and I have pleasure *n stating that on every occasion when we have had trouble with overhead lines' during gales,every one has worked well and without a murmur. I have not said anything about my own work, as any one who will take note of the work that has been done and is being done by this department will realise that I will always have ample to do. I rarely find a day long enough to do half the work that T should like to do. The success of the installation should speak for its'elf. New Plymouth has the reputation of being one of the most successful stations, and I trust that T am entitled to some credit for this, and I would like to take this opportunity of reminding the Council that T have now been in New Plymouth over five years, and although the work has increased and I have acted as consultant in all matters electrical, and have als'o carried out all extensions to plant and overhead lines, work quite beyond the scope of my original engagement, I have only received one small increase in salary. This department is now in a satisfactory financial position, and 1 trust that you will see your way to grant a substantial increase. With the exception of a few days two years ago, I have not had a holiday since I came here, and owing to long'hours of work lam now feeling the need of one. If satisfactory arrangements are made m regard to clerical work, I should be able to get away after the returns for the year ending 31st March are made up, and T trust that you will then grant the necessary leave." r The result of the <sommittee's deliberations last night was not made j known to the press.